Will Ashe: Culinary Created Self-Made Chef

Culinary Created Self-Made Chef

/in /by

Meet Will Ashe, the man behind the extraordinary culinary experience at Inn on the Square.

The Rise to Executive Chef

Will is originally from North Augusta, SC, and moved to Greenwood in 2016. While searching for work he found a job as a dish washer and line cook. Little did he know, that this was the beginning of a journey, leading him to a life as a chef. When first entering the culinary field, Will constantly impressed his peers. Chefs such as Jim McGuiness and David Epps took notice of the immense amount of potential Will had. Will was very attentive and proved to be a quick learner of the ins and outs of the kitchen. Will would soon find himself in a position to move up in rank and he took advantage of every opportunity given.

Taking every opportunity to learn, Will listened closely as Jim McGuiness took him under his wing. According to McGuiness “I like the challenge Will presented and I know how great he can be”, this is why McGuiness took a chance on Will Ashe. Will credits this challenge and motivation for allowing him to step out of his comfort zone and allow him to find himself as a chef. Will took pride in learning from his mentors, as he was constantly working and studying to perfect his craft.

Away from work he quarried as much information he could from articles and online videos. Finding inspirations outside of his mentors, such as Sean Brook, helped fuel his career. Will’s hard work has not gone unnoticed, it is this exact determination and internal drive that has allowed him to rise to the top of his career field. A love and desire to further innovate pushes Will to make leaps in culinary creation. This impressive ingenuity in the kitchen caught many people’s attention and led to him becoming the favorite to take over the kitchen here at the Inn. After all the hard work he found himself as the executive chef at the historic Inn on the Square. Although it is early in his career, Will has received recognition from iconic sources like the Food Network. This is just the beginning as Will looks to progress his career each day.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/fn-dish/recipes/2019/10/cheese-tray-ideas

A Look at Inn on the Square’s Kitchen

Running the kitchen with a calm demeanor, Will keeps things running smooth and efficient. Working side by side with pastry chef Olivia Taylor, the culinary creations are going on nonstop in the kitchen. Daily specials, catering, and unique events keep the kitchen running on all cylinders constantly. When asked which moments make being an executive chef special, he answers “Seeing anyone of my kitchen staff succeed in a task they have been working towards.” This selfless attitude is prevalent throughout the kitchen and makes for great camaraderie among the staff. When he is not in the kitchen, Will is most likely at the farmers market on the search for fresh ingredients. Food quality is a high priority for Will and very important when it comes to making some of Will’s favorite dishes such as scallops. Looking for an opportunity experience Will’s work, click the following link to learn more.

https://innonthesquare.net/carriage-house-restaurant-dining/

Outside of Work

Outside of work, Will manages to find stability among juggling work and his personal life. One place that Will can often be found outside of the kitchen is in the gym in an attempt to unwind from a day at work. The gym has become a sanctuary for Will, allowing him to focus on himself outside of work.

Will believes that having a healthy balance between work, mental and physical health, along with personal relationships has led to his success. If not at the gym, Will may be found at the famers market, again looking for ingredients to further feed his love and passion of cooking. Family time is very important to Will and spending time with family after those long nights in the kitchen helps Will keep a solid foundation. Although regardless of where he is at, Will can almost always be found wearing a backwards snapback.

The Future and Beyond

While continuing to innovate in the kitchen and better himself, Will continues to further his education in culinary school. Will comments “I plan on keeping myself uncomfortable as possible and fail as much as I can. It’s important.” Understanding how to fail and learn from mistakes is an enormous reason why Will has seen so much success in his career. The learning never stops, even as an executive chef. Will pushes himself constantly to further his knowledge. A complete dedication to the kitchen allows his career to flourish. After it is all said and done, Will’s main goal to be happy and successful.

Champagne Celebration

New Year’s Eve Cabaret 2020

/in /by

New Year’s Eve Roaring 20’s Cabaret

Swing into 2020 at the Inn on the Square featuring

The Jake Bartley Band and Steven Galloway

We are excited to officially announce Greenwood’s Premier New Year’s Eve Event.  Swing into 2020 with big band jams from the Jake Bartley Band along with some of our all time favorite tunes.

We encourage everyone to start planning now for New Year’s Eve the “Best Dressed of 2020”.

Steven Galloway will be in the Fox and Hound Lounge, beginning at 7pm and will help ease us into the evening while we enjoy sharing memories of the year to pass and the year to come.  Beginning at 9pm The Jake Bartley Band will get us swinging into the New Year. There will be a champagne toast and balloon drop with prizes at midnight to swing in the New Year.

Dinner reservations will be required, and the menu will be posted within the upcoming weeks.

If anyone knows how to throw a New Year’s Eve Cabaret, it’s your friends at the Inn on the Square. Join us Celebrating our 5th Annual New Year’s Eve in Uptown Greenwood.  Start making your plans now!

Tickets to the Roaring 20’s Cabaret will be limited and are sure to go fast.  Call the Inn on the Square at (864) 330-1010 to reserve yours now.

Tickets are $40.00 per person

or $70.00 per couple

Hotel Accommodations are still available online at www.innonthesquare.net or by calling directly.

Don’t forget. Included with your stay is a cooked to order, hot breakfast.  No better way to start 2020.

Let’s Party like Gatsby.

 

Appetizers: 

Black eyed Pea Hummus paired with grilled pita bread 

Pickled white shrimp topped with cilantro, fennel and served with cocktail sauce

Soup or Salad: 

Salad of grilled Hendersonville apples, mixed greens, roasted pecans, and feta cheese, served with a homemade apple cider vinaigrette

Crab Bisque Soup

Main Course: 

Petit Filet and 6oz Lobster Tail topped with a Demi glaze sauce, rosemary mashed potatoes, and grilled asparagus

Bone in, Pork-Chop grilled and topped with apple butter, served with mashed sweet potatoes topped with nutmeg roasted pecans, and bacon vinegar collard greens

Pan seared Sea Scallops with a pancetta cream sauce paired with roasted red pepper Roth® smoked gouda grits and lemon Sarvecchio® parmesan asparagus

Pistachio crusted rack of New Zealand Lamb with a rosemary grain mustard cream sauce over mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. 

Oven roasted Chicken Breast with lemon garlic sauce paired with blended wild rice and bacon vinegar collard greens

Arugula pesto primavera with wild mushrooms, asparagus and blistered tomatoes served over linguini with garlic bread

Dessert Course: 

Creme brûlée made with Madagascar vanilla beans garnished with red raspberries 

Chocolate (It’s just) chess pie topped with whipped cream and shaved Godiva® Belgian chocolate

Pomegranate Champagne sorbet topped with fresh sweet whipped cream

Renewal Coalition comes to Greenwood

/in /by

Renewal Coalition comes to Greenwood!

This past Labor Day Weekend we were blessed with the opportunity to host two USMC service members with their wives at the Inn on the Square in beautiful Uptown Greenwood, SC.  Wesley Oldham, one of the hotel owners, and also a United States Veteran along with his wife, Kathy, have been major supporters and contributors of the Renewal Coalition for several decades now.   It didn’t take them long do decide, that Greenwood, and the Inn on the Square were also going to be involved.

Here’s a little back story on the Renewal Coalition, and a link to their page,“The Renewal Coalition evolved from and is guided by our enthusiasm and sense of gratitude for this country. We are so blessed as Americans and consider it a privilege to offer assistance to those who have given so much in the name of duty.

When our Wounded Warriors return from Iraq and Afghanistan, they can spend months or even years at military hospitals and rehabilitation centers from all over the country. 

Although these hospital stays are life saving and transformational, it is a tedious experience as the healing process takes time. The families of these soldiers are often uprooted from their homes and communities and are relocated to cramped hotel rooms or apartments near the hospitals. The emotional and financial adjustments these families are forced to make are often life altering. These issues are unrelenting. The Renewal Coalition offers a relaxing week where they can step away from the hospitals and small apartments to reconnect and concentrate on just being a family again.

When they arrive, each family settles into their own private ocean or waterfront residences. These residences have been generously donated by Sandy and Sara Lankler with great respect and honor for our military and the individuals who safeguard our freedom everyday. The families are then welcomed with baskets full of items to make their stay just a little more comfortable. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are donated by local residents and organizations. During their stay, the families can choose from a long list of activities that include: deep sea fishing, spa treatments, water slide excursions, jet skiing, sporting events, golf, trips to local attractions or just private time at the beach or movies!”

Obviously, we don’t have oceanfront accommodations, or a beach, but we do have a great lake, and our warriors were able to enjoy it while they were here! Thanks to our dear friends Brian & Sara Pinson.  We spent an evening cruising Lake Greenwood, and enjoyed dinner at the Break on the Lake. The fun didn’t stop there!  The warriors and their wives were the recipients of great seats and parking passes to the Clemson Game donated by our friends at County Bank. We were also able to show them some Southern Hospitality Tailgating ~True Clemson Tiger Style of course ~ with some more help from our friend Heather Simmons Jones and the culinary team here at the Inn on the Square!

We did our best to spoil our couples while they were here and treated them to couples massages, thanks to the incredibly talented, multi-skilled, Bess Park. You can check out some of her upcoming theater talent here!  (She’s also my yoga teacher! Told you she was talented and multi-skilled!)

Each night we joined together as a family and enjoyed dinner and shared in stories and fellowship.  It was a weekend we are proud to have a part in.  Thank you again to each of you who donated your time, talents, and friendship to make this a successful weekend for our Renewal Coalition Members!

If you would like more information on how you can help please contact claire@innonthesquare.net for more information.

 

 

Uptown Holiday LIghts

Christmas Uptown Greenwood

/in /by

Christmas Uptown Greenwood is our favorite time of year!

Each Holiday season beginning just before Thanksgiving Uptown becomes to stir with wonder.  Christmas Uptown Greenwood, SC is a winter wonderland. We are committed to bringing Christmas Magic to Uptown Greenwood for families near and far to share and enjoy.  The Inn on the Square has a display of themed Christmas Trees in each common area.  One of the Inn’s owners, Jim McGuinness, brings gingerbread building to another level.  Come Uptown and enjoy a stroll along the dazzling display of lit trees, join us for one of many featured dinners, and finish in the Fox & Hound Lounge for an evening nightcap before you head upstairs to one of our beautifully appointed guest rooms.

Introducing Greenwood Inn Gingerbread

Join us this holiday season and enjoy a display of community participation, highlighting Greenwood and the surrounding areas, made of Gingerbread.   It is our goal to encourage individuals and community groups and organizations to re-create, from gingerbread, homes/buildings/and landmarks in Greenwood.

HOW IT BEGAN – Three years ago when we first opened the hotel we knew that we needed a signature fundraising event.  Jim McGuinness, owner and operator, has always loved Christmas and began building gingerbread houses with his boys when they were just children.  We decided to incorporate this family memory into building new ones in Greenwood. With the help of the Bowers Rodgers Children’s Home, the Inn on the Square has continued to develop this event year after year.

In the past two years the event was limited to one gingerbread house on display made by McGuinness himself and the gingerbread building event for the children.  This year we invite you to join us in growing greater as we introduce “Greenwood Inn Gingerbread”.

Come check out this year’s construction of our very own Mayor’s home.

 

Best Food in America

/in /by

Food Network Declares, “Best Food In America”

What to Eat – South Carolina

Read the Article

At the Inn we offer all of our dining guests complimentary homemade peach corn muffins, served warm with each meal. They are our signature muffin. We knew when we opened the hotel that we wanted to create a memorable trademark for our dining room—something people would remember, something they would take home and tell their friends about.

Jim McGuinness, owner and operator has been in the business for quite some time. He is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York, and he has crossed the country exploring and experimenting with local ingredients. At one point in his career he was the executive chef and opened the Banana Reef in Santa Barbara, California. While there he created a banana muffin made with local La Conchita bananas and infused with spiced rum and banana liquor.

Upon arriving in Greenwood he quickly noticed the love of southern staples and how us Southern folk love bread with every meal. It’s pretty serious stuff around these parts. As I mentioned earlier, we were looking for a signature item, and Jim thought what better than a peach corn muffin. It takes our love of corn bread, peaches, and puts it together for a magical fit. We struggled in the beginning to get just the right balance of corn versus peach. Jim worked tirelessly to achieve it, and he did with great success. We even have folks ask to purchase them to take with them. We try and use as many local and fresh ingredients as we can in our kitchen. It is so important to us we have invested with a local, organic farmer, Metts Organics, to supply the restaurant with quality produce.

We believe it makes a difference and as South Carolina being the largest producer of peaches… it’s easy to do. :)

An evening sunset on Lake Greenwood, SC

The 25 Best Small Lake Life Towns in America

/in /by

Dreaming of living a Lake Life?

Listed in CountryLiving Magazine as one of the 25 Best Small Lake Towns in America. With 212 Miles of Shoreline spanning three counties and over 11,000 acres of surface area there is something for everyone to enjoy. On any given sunny afternoon you are sure to find families boating, friends kayaking and paddle boarding, and enthusiasts on jet skis and wave runners. There are coves and train trusses for some of the best Crappie fishing in the country. The life at Lake Greenwood offers a two lakefront golf courses, The Links at Stoney Point, Host to the Symetra Tour’s women’s golf tournament and Grand Harbor Golf and Yacht Club. Do you like to camp? We do! At one of South Carolina’s finest State Parks,  Lake Greenwood State Park hosts 125 camping sites for year round family fun.  All part of Lake Life Living in Greenwood, South Carolina.

Lake Greenwood is owned by Greenwood County and has borders on the three surrounding counties of Greenwood, Laurens, and Newberry.  Sustainability of the lake is an important part of Greenwood living. Greenwood and the surrounding counties are committed to making Lake Greenwood safer, more accessible, and expanding opportunities for recreation, trails, and open spaces.

Relax and enjoy the peace and solitude Lake Life in Greenwood, South Carolina provides: a slow pace with Southern Hospitality at every turn.

Camp Fellowship located on Lake Greenwood has programs and events for families throughout the summer.

Do you need to see the lake life it to believe it? Our friends at Greenwood Travel and Tourism with the help of the talented David Holloway of Story Reel productions.

Stay with us and see for yourself.

Looking for a slower pace? Looking for a change in pace?  Looking for a place to retire?  Looking for a better quality of life? Look no further than Lake Greenwood Lake Life Living. Visit Uptown Greenwood, experience all of the small town charm, uptown shopping and dining located less than a ten minute drive to Lake Life!

When you visit, it would be our pleasure to host you during your stay. Our guest rooms and on-site dining options will be a perfect complement to the hospitality you enjoy in our community. When you finalize your itinerary, visit our booking page to secure your rooms.

Best hotel for the 2017 Festival of Discovery BBQ and “Blues Cruise”

/in /by

The South Carolina Festival of Discovery is the premier event of the year sponsored by the Uptown Greenwood Development Corporation. The event started in 2000, and has become the most highly anticipated event in the region. The festival celebrates the history, culture, food, arts, crafts, music and people that make South Carolina and Greenwood County such an incredible place to live and visit.

The Inn on the Square is the best hotel for this annual event.

Family fun offered at the 2017 Festival of discovery held Thursday, July 6th through Sunday, July 9th.

The Festival of Discovery’s “Blues Cruise” celebrates the unique musical sound of the blues with numerous musical artists performing at Uptown Greenwood restaurants and venues.

Uptown Greenwood presents the 17th annual Greenwood Blues Cruise.  The Blues Cruise is the music component of the South Carolina Festival of Discovery. In celebration, Greenwood Blues Cruise Artistic Director Gary Erwin AKA Shrimp City Slim has pulled out all the stops with our lineup.  The Greenwood Blues Cruise is sponsored by  The Index Journal.  The Main Stage, where a lot of fantastic music can be found, is sponsored by CenturyLink.  We hope you ENJOY the 2017 lineup!

 

Here at the Inn on the Square we are excited to be host for four night of live blues.  Here is our line up below:

Inn on the Square

104 E Court Street
Thursday, July 6         8-11 PM Luckyman Beall
Friday, July 7                8-11 PM Studebaker, Howell and Stricklin
Saturday, July 8          8-11 PM Joey Gilmore
Sunday, July 9          11 AM – 3 PM Skyla Burrell

 

For four days in the hottest part of the summer, Uptown Greenwood shuts down and cools off.  Throughout the weekend two city blocks are closed to traffic, BBQ teams and vendors set up shop, amusement rides grow lines with children, and an arts and crafts center is created!

The Inn on the Square is not only the best hotel, but it is the only hotel located inside the perimeter of the Festival of Discovery 2017 BBQ & Blues!

Hurricane Matthew’s Attempted Wedding Event Disaster — And How We Saved the Date

/in /by

Sometimes things just line up. And other times they totally blow up. Like epic wedding event disaster blow up. Then sometimes, in the strangest of “coincidences,” both things happen and the outcome is even more beautiful than it could have been otherwise.

This was what happened when Christopher Burch and Kristy Hughes planned their beach wedding on what became the weekend of Hurricane Matthew. They found themselves evacuating the Lowcountry with, oh, you know, pretty much everyone else but FEMA and meteorologist Jim Cantore. The Inn was a go-to place of escape during the mandatory evacuations, so there was already a steady flow of additional guests. What’s two more? And their wedding party? And guests? We got this.

Long story short, our team came together and made a beautiful event (if we do say so ourselves…). The Index-Journal was kind enough to cover the wedding — they even sent a photographer to help commemorate the special day.

We don’t wish this kind of disruption on anyone’s wedding plans. But when it happens, you can count on us. We LIVE to make beautiful events happen — with or without hurricanes barreling down on the coast!

~ Claire

BBQ, Blues, & Beers, oh my!

/in /by
Read more

We Love Wedding Season!

/in /by
Read more